News & Commentary

People attend a vigil in support of immigration detainees at the entrance of "Alligator Alcatraz" Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, detention center at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Fla., Aug. 10, 2025. (OSV New/Marco Bello, Reuters)

More states move to copy ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ amid reports of inhumane conditions

A Central American nonprofit center in Florida reports one of its client family members -- despite having an active asylum claim and no criminal record -- was recently detained on his way to work and sent to Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz."
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‘David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet,’ streaming on Netflix

"The natural world is fading. It's happened in my lifetime. I've seen it with my own eyes. This film is my witness statement." That's the sobering message of "David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet."
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Pope: Pandemic revealed world's false securities, lack of cooperation

In facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the efforts of the scientific community can serve as an example for the world on the importance of working together for the common good, Pope Francis said.
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Catholic voters urged to consult church's social teaching on issues

As early voting begins in some states for the coming presidential election, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori is urging his parishioners to be guided by the principles of Catholic social teaching as they complete their ballots.
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Stories of ‘radical’ women religious also highlight need for lay models

Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century by Melanie Rigney. Franciscan Media (Cincinnati, 2020). 139 pp., $16.99. When we think of saints, “radical” may not be one of the first qualities that comes to mind, but they were, and are, ...
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Six months into pandemic, Catholic organizations adjust, adapt

In the six months since the World Health Organization declared the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus a pandemic, U.S.-based Catholic organizations have learned how to adjust to the changed landscape of the world in which they operate, and make ...
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Congress urged to cover immigrant, refugee families in any stimulus bill

The chairman of the U.S. bishops' migration committee told a House subcommittee Sept. 23 that any stimulus bill Congress is considering must include assistance for immigrant and refugee families and also make them eligible for past stimulus relief.
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